We Should Be Used To This By Now?

There are a number of “silly seasons” in English football. Typically these come around when there isn’t much football being played or when we get to significant decision points in the season (end of season run in, transfer windows, England playing etc.)

Well this week has seen two of these silly events occur, creating almost a perfect storm of ridiculousness. The first, the sacking of Martin O’Neil by Sunderland and the second, the debacle surrounding the selection/non-selection of Rio Ferdinand for England and the subsequent venting of frustration by England’s loyal followers.

Let’s take the O’Neil sacking first. The legendary Irishman hasn’t had the best of tenure’s with Sunderland I’ll be the first to admit. Getting sacked though after the home defeat by ManYoo on the 30th of March is nothing more than the symptom of sheer blind panic by a clearly clueless Sunderland board that are scared to death of relegation. Granted, the problem is probably caused by next seasons record breaking £3 billion Sky deal. The deal reportedly giving the bottom club next season an estimated £65 million (that’s £5 million more than Man City got for wining the 2012 title!) The reason therefore is the fear of not being part of that, but sacking arguably one of the best managers in the country surely isn’t the solution?

If you examine the improbable task of the new appointment (someone who must already have an offer as he is due in the next few days) it makes the decision to sack O’Neil even more difficult to understand. They have 7 games to play, the next 2 away (to Premiership high flyers Chelsea & the small matter of a rabid North East derby against Newcastle). What chance is there for a new manager to get his feet under the table? If as expected Sunderland return the expected zero points from these 2 games then that leaves 5 for the new messiah to turn it around. I’m sorry Mackems but there is only 1 phrase that springs to mind “No chance!”

Thereafter, the future looks decidedly Wolvesesque. A massive wage bill that the Championship can’t support and the spiralling date with oblivion that Leicester, Forest, Leeds, Norwich, Portsmouth & Southampton can all attest to. Unfortunately at least one of those clubs is probably gone forever. I hope this massively badly thought out reaction to getting beat by the Champions elect doesn’t see the end of one of this country’s best supported and greatest clubs? I sincerely hope Ellis Short(minded) sleeps well tonight. I know the thousands of dedicated and loyal Black Cats won’t.

Now onto the Ferdinand debacle. Hodgson recalls the forgotten hero(?) due to his Premiership form despite his legs leaving him at least a season ago. Alright, I suppose you can’t really argue with that alone, but what follows is borderline implausible.

Firstly, Rio says he can’t now turn out for our beloved country due to his training regime. Now correct me if I’m wrong, but unless Mr Ferdinand needs physically to train in Manchester (and nowhere else) then this shouldn’t be a factor in any decision making process. It is clear that the FA has the best facilities in world football, so to say that he can’t train with the team is an insult. Furthermore, what regime can’t be replicated anywhere else? I suspect that this excuse is somewhat connected a nice, warm commentary gig in Qatar? Sir Alex said “he had 3 days off so why not?” SO WHY NOT???? Well clearly he only had 3 days off because he wasn’t playing for the 3 Lions in the first place. Ridiculous!

As if this debacle wasn’t enough there’s more during the actual San Marino game itself. England fans, who as always have paid a considerable amount of their “not £115k a week wages” to follow the national team are entitled to watch the best players, regardless of the opposition. So, they vent their frustration by singing some unsavoury songs (relating to the stacking of the Brothers Ferdinand upon a stack of kindling and chucking a match upon the pile). Not a very pleasant song I’ll agree (and I believe all antagonistic chants should be removed from the game) however, certainly not racist!

When I turned on the radio the morning after the game and heard that the FA was investigating alleged racist chanting I was gob smacked. The song is actually about a white Yorkshire man (one Guy Fawkes) and has been sung in playgrounds for years. Forest fans sing this song almost every week substituting the names of the Ferdinands for the teams of Derby County and Leicester City. Is this racist? No. Apparently the song has under tones of the deep South in the US (lynching’s and burning’s during the era of the KKK) but I’m sure that if this was sung nobody was singing about burning slaves? In fact, I doubt many would know where Mississippi is? What if the recipients of the chants were Lampard and Gerrard? Would this be racist? Nasty? Yes. Racist? No.

What really rankles is the fact that English players can have monkey chants etc. aimed at them during every game in Eastern Europe and that gets a “rap on the knuckles” from UEFA? As usual the self-flagellating English need a reason to unjustifiably beat themselves up again.

Racism is wrong. It needs to be stopped but it can only be stopped when there is something to be stopped.

Sacking managers in the way it happens today is also wrong and part of me hopes that the Sunderland board pays the penalty. The irony of all of this is that it is reported that Steve McClaren will be the Black Cats new boss. That’s relegation guaranteed then!

Still, like I said upfront, we should be used to all of this by now. So, someone tell me why I’m not then?